Airplane



'May 28, 1929. H. P MASSEY` 1,714,609

AIRPgJANE Filed May 25, 1928 ATTORNEY? Puiaea Mey 2s, 192e.

UNITED STATES I y "i-,iligtoaf PATENT orrlcs.

Application led Hay 25,

usefulness it is adapted-for use with air-- planes.

Further and more specific features and ad-.

vantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification;

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows an airplane in side elevation,

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the same,

Fig. 4 shows in diagrammatic form a cross section taken at 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 shows a similar view and illustrates a slight modification.

Referring to thedrawings: the body of the airplane will be designated as 1, and carries a motor 2 at the forward end thereof adapted to drive a propeller 3. An aerofoil 4 is suitably attached to and supported by the body. A second aerofoil 5 is positioned above the aerofoil 4 and spaced slightly therefrom and is slightly staggered in a forward direction to roduce a positive sta ger with respect tot e lower aerofoil 4.

cylindrical drum 6 is suitably supported for rotation and is positioned adjacent the leading edges of aerofoils 4 and 5, extending laterally thereof substantially the entire span of said aerofoils. Tlie corresponding aerofoils 4 and 5 and drum 6are similarly positioned on the opposite side of the body 1. The cylinders 6 and 6 are adapted to be "rotated by driving shaft 7 which is in driven engagement with the motor through the intermediary of bevel gears 8, or other suitable means.

The arrangement of the aerofoils and the cylinder will now b e more particularly described with reference -to Figs. 4 and 5. The loweraerofoil 4 is provided with a recessed leading edge 9,'` and, in the present embodiment, the forwardpart of the upper camber is slightly concavein cross section, while the rear part of the upper camber is convex in cross section and in general in the form of the usual upper camber of the usual aerofoil. The upper aerofoil 5 is provided with a suitable upper cambered surface and the under. camber adjacent the leading edge is slightly concave 1n cross 192s.l serial No. 280,455.

section, as at 11, and in the preferred embodlment conforms in general toa continuat1on of the curvature of the leading edge 9*- of the lower aerofoil; and the concavities thus formed approach the arc ofa circle. The lower camber to the rear of this concavity is convex in cross section in the present embodiment. The aerofoils 4 and 5 are so positioned that a slot 12 is formed between the lower camber of the aerofoil 5 and the forward art of the aerofoil 4, such as at 10. This s ot converges slightl rearwardly to thereby provide a somewhat res'trlcted outlet at 13, adjacent the .u er convex camber at the rear of the aerofoi 4. The upper camber of aerofoil 4 to the rear of the trailing edge of the aerofoil 5 will be referred to as the free upper camber of the aerofoil 4. The drum 6 is positioned in saced'relation with respect 'to the leading e ge 9 of the aerofoil 4 and with respect to the portion 11 of the aerofoil 5. The drum 6 may be provided with peri heral serrations or air engaging portions esignated as 14, if desired, although these portions are not deemed essential, A form of drum having a smooth periphery is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which thev aerofoils are identical with those illustrated in Fig. 4.

The advantages obtained by the rotating cylinder may be explained by reference to the well known Magnus eEect, and the beneiicial result which I utilize is -in accordance with Bernoullis theorem, which states that where the velocity of air isthe greatest, the pressure'is the least; and conversely, where the velocity is least, the pressure is greatest, I have made use of the rotating drum, in combination with aerofoils, to produce an improved lifting arrangement.

With reference particularly to Fig. 4, the drum is continuously rotated during the operation of the aircraft. Under the attractive force of the propeller 3, the aircraft is moved forward and the resultantl lifting ef- 100 f'ect. isy diagrammatically illustrated in Fig.

4; from which it will be seen that the relative movement of the air with respect to the lifting means, comprising aerofoils 4 and 5 and drum 6, acts in the following man- 105 ner. -The drum is rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4, and due to its skin friction drags the adjacent air along with it, thereby causing an increase in velocity of air adjacent its upper periphery, 11o I and, due toits counteracting effect, causing vns a decrease in velocity ofair adjacent its lower' periphery. It therefore follows, ac3 cording to Bernoullis theorem, that the pressure is decreased above the drum and increased beneath the drum, causing a corre-` sponding reaction exerted to liftithe drum and the airplane attached thereto. 'A

The increased air ow passes over the top of the cylinder and is deflected downwardly by the under side o f the upper aerofoily 5 with the 'following effect. A part ofy such deflected airpasses to the rear of the cylinder, still under the influence of its skin friccaused b the normal air speed velocity. The

air whic is carried around behind the drum due to lts rotation 1n a clockwlse direction,

and which passes in front of the leading" edge 9, acts to decrease the velocity'of the air at the rear lower side of the drum 6; assisting the cylinder action above referred to. The upper camber of the aerofoil 5 functions in the usual manner; althou h it might be pointed out that increased air ow created adjacent the top of the cylinder probably linfluences the air flow over the upper surface of this areofoil in a ben'ecial manner. The under camber of the aerofoil 4 functions in the usual manner. l

Suitable discs 15, 15 (Fig. 3) are attached to the ends of thecylinders 6 and 6 to pre- A vent theflow vof air off the end of the e linders during the forward movement o the aircraft and to thereby restrict the fiow of air to its path of maximum usefulness.

Although my invention has been`illustrated in connection with a` monoplane vconstruction, i. e. where the lifting means as a unit have been shown in monoplane form, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be so limited and is equally adaptable to be utilized in connection with multi- `plane machines wherein the lifting means are either superimposed, in tandem, or any combination of the same.

- bodied in widely different forms without dei its broader aspects.

arting from the spirit and scope thereof in The form and number of aerofoils and their location may be greatly varied, likewise the form of the rotating lain corrugated notched or corrugated an notched surface,

Aor may have a cross section in the .form of a cross or otherwise, or it ma be one which is rovided with curved bla es and adapted to e adjustable in cross sectional size. In

factthe body may have any symmetrical cross section and the. position thereof with respect to the aerofoil may be considerably varied. Hence I desire'to cover all changes and modifications coming within the lan 'guage Yor scope of any one or more of the appended claims.l t

What I claim as new and desire. to secure by LettersPatent is: y

1. In an aircraft, the combination of a first aerofoil having a rearward upper free camber, a second aerofoil spaced therefrom and forming a slot between its lower side and the yupper side of said rst aerofoil, and a rotatable cylinder extendin adjacent the leading edge of said aerofoils adapted to direct air through said slot and over said rearward free camber. g

2. In an aircraft, the combination of a first aerofoil having a rearward u per free camber, a second aerofoil spaced 'therefrom and forming a slot between itslower side and the upper side of said first aerofoil, and a rotatable c linder in front of the leading edge of sai leading edge of said second aerofoil adapted to'direct a1r throu h said'- slot.

3. In an aircra the combination of a first aerofoil having a lrearward upper free camber, a second aerofoil spaced therefrom and forming a slot between its lower side and the upper side of said first aerofoil, and a rotatable cylinder in front of the leading edge of said aerofoil and below the leading edge of saidv second'vaerofoil adapted to direct air'through said slot and over the leading edge of said second aerofoil respectively.

4. In an aircraft, the combination of a first aerofoil having a rrearward upper free camber, a second aerofoil spaced therefrom and forming a slot between its lower side and the upper side of said first aerofoil, said slot being restricted'rearwardly in cross section, anda rotatable cylinder extending -`a substantial portion of the span of and adjacent .the leading ed e of said aerofoils adapted to direct air t rough said slot and over said rearward free camber.

first aerofoil and below .the

5. In an aircraft, lthe combination of a first aerofoil having a free lower camber, a second aerofoil'spaced therefrom and forming a slot between its lower side and the upperside of said first aerofoil, and a rotatable cylinder extending adjacent the leading edge of said 'aerofoils adapted` to direct air through said slot and over said rearward free ca mber.

6. In an aircraft, the combination of aiirst aerofoil having a rearward upper free camber, a second aerofoil spaced therefrom and forming aslot between its lower side and the upper side of said 'first aerofoil, and a rotatable cylinder extending asubstantial portion of the span of and adjacent the leadingi,r edge of said ae'rofoilsl adapted to direct air through said slot and over said rearward free camber at a greater velocity than the normal air-speed of the aircraft.

7 In an aircraft, the combination of a irst aerofoil, a second aerofoil s aced above the rst and overhanging the lea ing edge of the first, and a rotatable cylinder positioned in respective spaced relation in front of the leading edge vof the first and beneath the leading edge of the second of said aerofoils and extending axially a substantial portion of the span of saidy aerofoils. l

8. Aircraft lifting'means comprising in combination two superimposed spaced aerofoils in positive staggered relation and whose respective forward adjacent portions are curved in cross section in substantialconformity to the are of a circle, and a'rotatable cylinder axially extending the major ortion of the span of said aerofoils and w ose outer circumference is in spaced relation to the curved portions of said aerofoils.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

y HENRY P. MASSY. 

